[EricH]

Originally Posted by ErvinI

Is there a specific reason why you believe that WCD's are run in a long configuration? Is it just what you've seen, or is there an underlying design advantage for a WCD that is best seen in a long configuration?

It's what I've seen since 2003/2004, when the WCD was first unleashed. In general, most WCDs I've seen have been long. (For that matter, most robots have been long, too.)

There is one potential advantage, and it could be a key reason for the long robot. 6WD WCDs (OK, any 6WD drop-center drive) tend to be a little "tippy" when accelerating front-to-back or vice versa--how tippy depends on the drop height. A wide robot that tips front-to-back will often have its CG move dangerously close to outside the contact patch, which condition--if met--generally results in a tipped robot. But a long robot doing the same tip has a lot more room for the CG to not be outside the contact patch. Proper engineering will mitigate that little problem; improper engineering will at best leave it as is; at worst, the robot just tips when suddenly switching directions.